Multani Mitti vs Besan: Which Is Better for Your Skin?

📖 10 min read · Part of our multani mitti series · See also: Multani Mitti for Oily & Acne-Prone Skin and Multani Mitti Side Effects

Multani Mitti vs Besan: The Short Answer

If you only read one thing, read this table. It answers "which is better for me" in a line.

If your skin is…	Better choice	Why
Oily, acne-prone, congested	Multani mitti	Strong oil absorption, cooling, deep pore-cleaning
Dry, tight or flaky	Besan	Much gentler and far less drying than clay
Sensitive or reactive	Besan	Milder, lower risk of irritation and over-drying
Normal / combination	Besan, or a blend	Besan for gentle regular use; multani on oily zones only
Wanting gentle daily use	Besan or a balanced ubtan	Raw multani mitti is too drying for daily use

So neither is simply "better." Multani mitti is the specialist for oily skin; besan is the gentle all-rounder; and for most people a formulated blend that combines a clay with nourishing flours and herbs beats either one used raw.

The Core Difference: A Clay vs a Flour

The whole comparison comes down to what these two things actually are. Multani mitti is a mineral clay, Fuller's earth, prized for one standout property: it strongly absorbs oil and moisture. That makes it powerful at deep-cleaning oily, congested skin, and also makes it drying, which is its main limitation.

Besan is gram flour, ground chickpeas, a food. It cleans the skin gently, exfoliates mildly thanks to its slightly gritty texture, and carries a little natural protein and fat, so it does not strip the skin the way a clay does. That makes it far gentler and better tolerated by dry and sensitive skin, but also a weaker oil-absorber than multani mitti.

Hold that one distinction, mineral clay versus food flour, and everything else follows. The clay is the stronger, more drying deep-cleaner; the flour is the milder, more forgiving everyday cleanser.

Multani Mitti vs Besan: Side by Side

Feature	Multani Mitti	Besan (Gram Flour)
What it is	Mineral clay (Fuller's earth)	Ground chickpea flour (a food)
Oil absorption	Very strong	Mild
Exfoliation	Light, from the clay texture	Gentle physical scrub from the grit
Drying effect	High, can over-dry	Low, much gentler
Best for	Oily, acne-prone, congested skin	Dry, sensitive, normal, combination skin
Cooling	Strongly cooling (sheeta)	Mildly cooling, more neutral
Tan and dullness	Good de-tan and brightening	Gentle brightening, classic ubtan base
Daily use (raw)	Too drying for daily use	Gentle enough for more frequent use
Main limitation	Over-dries if misused	Weaker on heavy oil and deep congestion

When to Choose Multani Mitti

Reach for multani mitti when oil is the problem. It is the better choice if your skin is:

• Oily or very oily, with a shiny T-zone and midday grease.
• Acne-prone or congested, with clogged pores, blackheads and frequent breakouts.
• Tanned or dull from sun and grime, and in need of a de-tan.
• Prone to large, oily pores that benefit from the clay's tightening, absorbing action.

For this kind of skin, multani mitti's strong oil absorption and cooling do what besan cannot, deep-clean a genuinely oily, congested face. Use it once or twice a week, rinsed before it over-dries. Our guide to multani mitti for oily and acne-prone skin covers the method in detail.

When to Choose Besan

Reach for besan when gentleness matters more than heavy oil control. It is the better choice if your skin is:

• Dry, tight or flaky, where a drying clay would make things worse.
• Sensitive or reactive, where the milder flour is less likely to irritate.
• Normal or combination, and you want a gentle regular cleanse rather than a strong treatment.
• In need of gentle brightening, the classic reason besan anchors the traditional ubtan.

Besan has been the base of the Indian ubtan for generations precisely because it cleans and brightens most skin types without stripping them. Mixed with a little curd, honey or rose water, it is a gentle, everyday-friendly cleanser in a way that raw clay is not.

Can You Mix Multani Mitti and Besan?

Yes, and this is often the smartest move of all. The two balance each other beautifully. Besan softens multani mitti's harsh, drying edge, while multani mitti gives besan the stronger oil-absorbing, deep-cleaning power it lacks. A pack of both, mixed with rose water, is milder than pure multani mitti and more effective at oil control than pure besan, a genuine best-of-both for combination and mildly oily skin.

This is not a modern hack; it is the logic of the classical ubtan, where a clay, a flour and herbs are combined so that the strengths add up and the harsh edges cancel out. A well-made ubtan is simply this idea done properly, which is why, for most people, a balanced blend beats choosing one raw ingredient over the other. That reasoning is the basis of the products below.

What About Bentonite, Sandalwood and Masoor Dal?

Multani mitti and besan are the two most common choices, but a few others come up, so here they are in brief:

• Bentonite clay is another strong oil-absorbing clay, similar in spirit to multani mitti and used the same way for oily skin. It is a reasonable alternative, with the same drying caution.
• Sandalwood (chandan) is cooling and soothing, more a calming, brightening, fragrant addition than a deep cleanser, and it pairs well with either multani mitti or besan rather than replacing them.
• Masoor dal (red lentil flour) is, like besan, a gentle food-based cleanser and mild exfoliant, a good besan-style option for dry and normal skin.
• Oatmeal is very gentle and soothing, best for sensitive and irritated skin, with little oil-absorbing power.

The pattern is clear: clays (multani mitti, bentonite) are the strong oil-absorbers for oily skin, while flours (besan, masoor dal) and soothers (sandalwood, oatmeal) are the gentler options for dry, sensitive and normal skin.

The Ayurvedic Verdict: Match It to Your Skin

Ayurveda would not ask which ingredient is best in the abstract; it would ask which suits your skin. Oily, congested, kapha-type skin wants the strong, cooling, oil-absorbing clay. Dry, thin, vata-type skin wants the gentle, nourishing flour. Sensitive, inflamed, pitta-aggravated skin wants cooling and soothing above all, so besan with a little sandalwood or rose water.

And for the very common combination skin that is oily in the T-zone and normal elsewhere, the answer is a blend, which is exactly what the classical ubtan has always been. Our guide to the three doshas helps you read which category your skin falls into. Match the ingredient to the skin, and the "multani mitti vs besan" question answers itself.

From the Ayurveda Hub Shelf

Rather than choosing one raw ingredient and hoping it suits you, the classical answer is a balanced blend that combines a clay with nourishing flours and herbs, the strengths added, the harsh edges removed. That is exactly what we make.

Related Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, multani mitti or besan? +

Neither is simply better; they suit different skin. Multani mitti is a clay with strong oil absorption, so it is the better choice for oily, acne-prone, congested skin. Besan (gram flour) is a gentle food-based cleanser that is far less drying, so it is the better choice for dry, sensitive and normal skin and for gentle, more frequent use. For combination or mildly oily skin, a blend of the two, or a balanced ubtan that combines a clay with flours and herbs, is usually better than either one raw. The right answer depends on your skin type, not on which ingredient is "best" overall.

Is multani mitti or besan better for oily skin? +

For genuinely oily skin, multani mitti is better. It is a clay that strongly absorbs oil and deep-cleans congested pores, which besan, a milder cleanser, cannot match on heavy oil. Besan still helps oily skin gently, but multani mitti is the specialist. The one caveat is that multani mitti is drying, so even on oily skin it should be used once or twice a week and rinsed before it over-dries, not used daily as a raw pack. For daily cleansing of oily skin, a multani mitti clay soap or a balanced ubtan is gentler than raw clay.

Is multani mitti or besan better for dry skin? +

Besan, clearly. Multani mitti is drying by nature and works against dry, tight skin, whereas besan is a gentle, food-based cleanser with a little natural fat and protein that does not strip the skin. For dry skin, besan mixed with something nourishing like curd, honey or milk is a far better choice than a clay pack. If you have dry skin and still want to use multani mitti, keep it to any genuinely oily zones only, use it rarely, and always follow with a rich moisturiser, but besan is the safer everyday option.

Can I mix multani mitti and besan together? +

Yes, and it is often the best approach. The two balance each other: besan softens multani mitti's harsh, drying edge, while multani mitti gives besan stronger oil-absorbing, deep-cleaning power. A pack of equal parts of each, mixed with rose water, is gentler than pure clay and more effective at oil control than pure besan, ideal for combination and mildly oily skin. This is exactly the logic of the classical ubtan, where a clay, a flour and herbs are combined so the strengths add up and the harsh edges cancel out. Leave it about ten minutes, rinse before it cracks, and moisturise.

Which is better for tan removal, multani mitti or besan? +

Both help, slightly differently. Multani mitti is the stronger de-tan option, because its clay lifts dead skin, grime and sun-tan build-up and cools the skin, which brightens a tanned, dull face. Besan is the classic gentle brightening base of the traditional ubtan, milder but kinder to dry and sensitive skin. For oily skin, multani mitti de-tans more powerfully; for dry or sensitive skin, besan is the gentler choice; and a blend of the two gives good de-tanning with less dryness. Neither bleaches the skin or reverses deep sun damage, and neither replaces sunscreen.

Is bentonite clay better than multani mitti? +

They are similar, not clearly better or worse. Bentonite is another strong oil-absorbing clay used the same way as multani mitti for oily, acne-prone skin, and it carries the same drying caution. Multani mitti is the more traditional and widely available option in India, and it is gentler and a little more familiar for most people, while bentonite is sometimes stronger. For oily skin, either works; for dry or sensitive skin, both are too drying, and a flour like besan is the better route. Choose by availability and how your skin responds rather than assuming one clay is superior.

What is the best clay or powder for sensitive skin? +

For sensitive skin, avoid strong clays like multani mitti and bentonite, which are drying and mildly abrasive, and reach for gentler, soothing options instead. Besan is milder and better tolerated; masoor dal (red lentil flour) is a similar gentle choice; oatmeal is very soothing; and sandalwood (chandan) is cooling and calming. A pack of besan or oatmeal with a little rose water or curd is a safe starting point for sensitive skin. Always patch test, keep it brief, and stop if there is any stinging or redness, and see a dermatologist for reactive or diagnosed skin conditions.

Can I use besan daily but multani mitti only weekly? +

That is a sensible routine for many people. Besan is gentle enough for more frequent use, so a besan-based cleanse can be a regular, even near-daily, habit, while multani mitti is drying and best kept to a once-or-twice-a-week deep-cleaning treatment. Combining the two in your routine, besan for gentle regular cleansing and multani mitti for the occasional stronger pack, gives you both gentleness and oil control. For true daily cleansing, a balanced clay soap or ubtan is also a good option, since it is formulated to be mild enough for everyday use.

Not Better or Worse, Just Different

The "multani mitti vs besan" debate has a quietly unsatisfying answer: there is no single winner, because they are tools for different skin. Multani mitti is the powerful, cooling, oil-absorbing clay that oily and acne-prone skin needs. Besan is the gentle, forgiving, food-based cleanser that dry and sensitive skin prefers. Ask which is better without naming a skin type, and the question has no answer; name the skin type, and it answers itself.

And for the large number of people with combination or mildly oily skin, the best choice is not one or the other but both, blended, which is exactly what the classical ubtan has always been: a clay for oil control, a flour for gentleness, and herbs to finish, balanced so the strengths add up and the drying edge is softened. Match the ingredient to your skin, or reach for a well-made blend, and you will get better results than loyalty to a single powder ever could.

For everything else about this clay, from its full benefits to its side effects, see our complete guide to multani mitti.

Try a Balanced Multani Mitti Ubtan →